Do you identify yourself first by your nationality or ethnicity?

I do both. Mainly, I identify with what my parents identified as too.

I'm Chinese, Hawaiian, Puerto Rican, Filipino, and German-Irish, but at times I might just say "oh, I'm Hawaiian" -- and people usually know what I mean. In Hawai'i, a full Hawaiian is rare. Maybe like 10% of the population or something. You can say you're Hawaiian, and people know you're expecting them to know that you're mixed. Like, it's inferred I guess. Most people here in Hawai'i just describe themselves as a "local mix" -- which is usually Japanese (which I'm not), Okinawan (not this either), Chinese, Filipino (Ilocano, but sometimes different), Korean (a lot more rare though; they never immigrated to Hawai'i until later years), German, and Irish. Some other common ones (I think) are other Polynesian races (Samoan, Tongan, etc.), sometimes Latino (Spanish, Puerto Rican, etc.), and even dark ones like Black. I actually know a guy who is African-Hawaiian-Chinese.

Btw, a nationality doesn't refer to the country you were born in. How do you think Puerto Rican-Americans came to be? In modern times, a nationality can be just a person's descent from where (a part of their heritage) might have came from.

Anyway, I say both because my dad doesn't even know enough about his ethnicities. He could be French, Spanish, Black, and Taino Indian for all he knows. But it's a lot more resourceful (I guess) to just say a nationality (which isn't lying).

When people ask for a THOROUGH description on my heritage, I say what I said above: I'm Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Puerto Rican, German, and Irish. My grandma (She's like 80% Chinese) taught me to never give away your percentage. Well, she says that she's half-Hawaiian half-Chinese, but in actuality (and even people on the street say this sometimes) she looks like a full-fledged Chinese.

I try my best not to identify myself as either of them, I identify myself as a human because thats what I am, and thats what we all are despite our nationality and ethnicity.

Although I still take pride in my nationality and ethnicity I dont use it as an identity unless I have to.

You know, that is such an interesting question, AJ!

So many people in the United States have the immediate response, "I am an American!"

For some reason, I have never felt that strongly about my national identity.

I identify as northern European -- someone of Norwegian, German and English extraction. American second.

Sorry to offend all the super patriots.

Im the same i go by my ethnicity first and then nationality =] Although i have dual nationality from both my ethnic backgrounds =D So i go by both

If you yourself where born and raised for the majority of your life in 1 country then you should refer to yourself as you are from that country, anything further backwards is your heritage, otherwise i would be walking around calling myself a Celtic instead of English

i cant stnad it when people do that.

nationality

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I am an American first.

I am Puerto Rican. I consider myself a Puerto Rican. I may be from New Jersey (born) but I consider myself to be 100% Puerto Rican. My whole family is.